Gildan Introduces Robot-Assisted Transportation, Advancing Innovation in Distribution Operations and Enhancing Worker Safety
Gildan is embracing technological advancements and bolstering worker safety by modernizing its approach towards product transportation in its Eden, North Carolina distribution centre. Recently, the Company implemented approximately 19 putaway and picking robots on site to assist with transportation of full product cases, minimizing the need for workers to manually move product throughout the warehouse and therefore enhancing worker safety.
“I’m excited for our Distribution teams to engage with this new automation technology,” says Bill Griffin, Director of Distribution Operations. “In addition to improving operator and facility safety, this technology is expected to improve efficiency and quality of the workflow, firmly supporting the Gildan Sustainable Growth strategy’s three pillars of capacity-driven growth, innovation, and ESG.”
Quiet and efficient, the robots can lift payloads of up to 600 lbs, and will work collaboratively with operators to physically move cases between carts and designated locations for processing. “Robot-assisted transportation is an important step towards digitizing, innovating, and optimizing certain components of our distribution processes, enabling us to expand our capabilities and better service our customers,” says Tripp Parks, Director of Process Improvement, and project team member of the robotics initiative.
While the robots offer a significant opportunity for the Company’s distribution centres, they also open new paths for growth and career development for employees, who are offered training and equipped with the skillset required to engage with the new technology. With its two-pronged benefits for both the supply chain and for Gildan’s people, this innovation will continue to better position the Company for growth.
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